A Notice To Appear

HAVE YOU HEARD?

June 15, 1998|The Morning Call

Attorney Dennis P. Ortwein recently donated two new bicycles -- one boy's and one girl's -- to Community Bike Works as an incentive at the end of the non-profit organization's Positive Citation Program.

The program is designed to provide positive reinforcements so that good riding behavior continues, resulting in a decrease in the number of injury bicycle accidents involving children.

In the program, children are cited with "Notices to Appear," which reward them for exhibiting proper and safe bicycle riding skills rather than cite them for violations. One boy and one girl from all children who have received positive citations will be randomly picked to win the donated bikes.

Community Bike Works uses bicycles and peer role models to draw children ages 9 to 17 and living in at-risk situations away from drugs, crime and the streets. In its "Earn a Bike" work ethic program, children learn skills and develop self-esteem while they earn the bike they repair. They can continue in any or all of the following programs: Earn a Part; Peer Apprenticeship; Peer Instructorship; Community Bike Shop, and Volunteer Program.

With underwriting from the law offices of Cohen, Feeley and Ortwein, Community Bike Works and the Allentown Police hand out vouchers for free T-shirts. Last year's program was limited to children in center-city Allentown and did not include the police. This year, the Positive Citation Program was expanded to include any child in Allentown.

Children who are observed wearing a helmet, riding on the right side of the road and obeying traffic signals and signs will be served a "notice" to appear for their awards.